Can opener cleaner-sharpener accessory



I Nov. 17, 1970 1.5, CRUMLEY 3,540,166

CAN OPENER CLEANER-SHARPENER ACCESSORY 'Filed Oct, 2. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /M/EA/roz, JAI/V55 Creu/miv Nov. 17, 1970 J. B. CRUMLEY 3,540,166

CAN OPENER CLEANER-SHARPENER ACCESSORY Filed Oct. 2. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nited States Patent 3,540,166 CAN OPENER CLEANER-SHARPENER ACCESSORY .lames B. Crumley, 1105 Hanover St., Chattanooga, Tenn. 37405 Filed Oct. 2, 1968, Ser. No. 764,434 Int. Cl. B24b 19/ 00 U.S. Cl. 51-247 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cleaning and sharpening attachment for a can opener, including a channelled backing member, one Wall of which is adapted for reception between a cutting blade and the traction wheel of a can opener and has a laterally outwardly projecting ange to rest on and in driven engagement with the periphery of the can opener traction wheel. Within the channelled member are relatively opposed blade sharpening and/ or cleaning elements, which engage the can opener blade so that it is sharpened and cleaned as the accessory is moved in the direction of its length by the traction wheel. A buler, secured along the upper edge of one of the walls is adapted for rubbing engagement with the hub portion of the rotary blade to clean the latter.

This invention consists of a blade-sharpening and/or cleaning accessory for a conventional can opener of the type in which an end portion of the can is received between the rotary cutter blade and the rotary traction wheel of the can opener, for thus gripping and driving the beading at the end of the can, while the rotary cutter progressively penetrates or cuts into the can closely adjacent to the beading.

The configuration and relative location of the cutter blade and traction wheel and their proximity to each other make it ditlicult to sharpen the rotary cutting blade as well as to clean the same to maintain it in sanitary condition, it being well known that in the use, the `blade customarily picks up or is coated with material from the various cans on which it operates.

It is, accordingly, an important object of the present invention to provide an accessory which is capable of eX- tremely convenient use in cleaning and/ or sharpening the rotary cutter blade of a. conventional can opener of the above type, Without necessity for dismantling or disassembling the can opener in any respect.

It is further an object to provide such an accessory which is driven through actuation of the can opener in a manner similar to that employed in the usual operation of the can opener to open a can.

With these objects in view, the accessory of the invention comprises a channelled backing member, one of the relatively spaced side walls of which is adapted for movement between the cutter blade and the traction wheel of a can opener and is provided with a ilange projecting from its upper edge for overlying driven engagement with the traction wheel to be moved through the can opener by the traction wheel in a manner similar to a conventional can. Disposed within the channelled backing member, as by being aixed to its relatively opposed walls, is a pair of relatively opposed blade engaging and treating elements for operative engagement with the can opener blade as the blade and accessory are moved relative to each other by the driving action of the traction wheel.

The said blade engaging and treating elements may comprise abrasive elements for sharpening of the blade, cleaning elements for rubbing or 4buling engagement with the blade, or a combination of both types of elements. The said elements are preferably, though not necessarily, resiliently deformable, so that they may be locally spread apart as the blade passes between them to thus be resiliently urged into operative rubbing or abrading contact with the blade. If desired, an elongated buffer element may be carried by the channelled backing member in position for rubbing engagement with the hub portion of the rotary cutter blade to engage and clean such portion incident to movement of the accessory through the can opener.

Specific embodiments of the invention are hereinafter described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of said embodiments in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustratingthe manner in which the embodiment of FIG. l cooperates with a conventional can opener;

FIG. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1, of a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a fourth embodiment of the invention; and,

FIG. 9 is a section on the line 9*9 of FIG. 8.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings and first considering the preferred embodiment thereof, illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4 inclusive, there are diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2, the major operative parts of a conventional can opener. As will be well known to those skilled in the art, such a can opener comprises a cutter blade 10 which is here shown as being of a disk type, having an annular cutting edge 12. The rotary blade 10 is supported for rotation in spaced relation from the supporting standard and housing 14 of the can opener within which the electric drive motor of other driving means (not shown) for the can opener is contained. In the present instance, the blade 10 is mounted for rotation through an out-board support or sleeve 16, through which a supporting shaft (not shown) may extend and to the end of which the disk is secured by a screw 18 which in etect constitutes the hub of the rotary blade 10.

Also mounted, for rotation on the housing 14, is a peripherally toothed or serrated traction wheel or drive wheel 20 aflixed on the end of a drive shaft 22, through which rotation is obtained from a suitable electric motor or a power source within the housing 14. In the operative relationship of the cutter blade 12 and the drive wheel 20, the two are in peripherally overlapping relation.

The blade 10 thus normally extends below the periphery of the drive wheel 20 in proximity to the end face of the drive wheel 20, but is suiliciently spaced therefrom to permit reception between the rotary blade 10 and the drive wheel 20 of the wall portion of a can (one end of a can), it being understood that the lower periphery of the blade 10 will have penetrated the end of the can to extend there into and to press the peripheral beading at the can end into operative driven engagement with the toothed periphery of the drive wheel 20. Rotation of the drive wheel 20 thus will move the end beading of the can in the direction of its length past the cutter blade 10, causing the blade to progressively penetrate and cut away the end wall of the can along a path adjacent to the inner periphery of the beading. Suitable means, not illustrated, will normally be provided for causing upward retraction of the rotary cutter blade 10, so that it may be readily brought into and from operative relation with the drive wheel 20, so that cans to be opened may be readily positioned in and withdrawn from the can opener.

It will be understood that the blade 10 of such a conventional can opener not only becomes dull after repeated use in opening cans, but that in addition, the contents of the cans penetrated by it will tend to cling to the blade and render it in an unsanitary condition. The accessory of the present invention provides a simplified means for sharpening the blade as well as for cleaning it, all without dismounting it from the can opener, and utilizing the driving wheel or traction wheel 20 of the can opener as the driving and positioning means of the accessory.

In its preferred form, the accessory of the invention comprises a substantially rigid channeled backing member 22 which is shown in both FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 as desirably formed from a conventional moulded plastic material, such as polyethylene or polystyrene and includes relatively spaced parallel walls which, in the present instance, comprise the inner and outer vertical walls 24 and 26, respectively, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. These walls are rigidly interconnected by the bottom 28, which is preferably formed with drainage holes 29 to facilitate the washing out of trapped residues from the cleaning action.

One of these walls, namely the outer wall 26, is adapted for movement between the cutter blade 10 and the traction wheel 20, in a manner to simulate the co-action with the can opener of the upper end of a can wall. Projecting laterally or horizontally from the upper edge of the Wall 26 is a horizontal flange or beading 30 arranged so that in the operative position of the accessory in the can opener, it projects outwardly over and is in driven engagement with the toothed periphery of the can opener drive wheel 20.

Aixed to the relatively opposed inner faces of the sidewalls 24 and 26 within the channel formed by the member 22, are relatively laterally opposed blade engaging and treating elements (best shown in FIG. 4), exemplied by the relatively opposed blade sharpening elements 32 and 34 preferably in the form of pads of resiliently deformable material, for operative reception between them of the cutting edge 12 and adjoining peripheral portion of the blade 10. Such sharpening pads 32 and 34 may have their body portions formed of a suitable resiliently deformable material such as sponge rubber or foamed polyurethane, with the abrasive surfaces thereof provided by suitable abrasive grit adhered to the outer faces of the plastic foam by suitable contact bond cement, all substantially as disclosed in the U.S. patent to Cohen No. 3,258,882, granted July 5, 1966. Normally, the abrasive surfaces of the pads will be spaced close enough to each other that insertion and progressive rolling movement of the blade I0 between them will cause them to be resiliently urged apart and thus maintained in rm abrading engagement with the converging faces of the cutter blade, the intersection of which denes the peripheral cutting edge 12 of the blade.

Although the sharpening elements above mentioned, may occupy the entire circumference or circumferential length of the channelled backing member, they preferably occupy but a portion thereof, thus leaving space available for the reception of the buffer pads 36 and 38 (shown in FIG. 3), which preferably are adhered or otherwise secured to the opposed inner faces of the respective channel walls 26 and 24. These may similarly comprise internal body portions of resiliently yieldable material, such as plastic foam as earlier described, though in the present instance the surface of this foam will be covered with a suitable buffing or a cleaning material, such as cloth, felt, or the like. The buffing surfaces thus formed on these elements, 36 and 38, similarly project so closely to each other that they are resiliently spread apart by the cutter blade as it rolls along between them, and the rubbing frictional engagement of these pads with these blades causes them to clean from it accumulated food materials and contaminants.

Also, if desired, anelongated buffer 39, may -be secured along and coextensively with the upper edge of the inner side wall 24 of the backing member and positioned for operative rubbing engagement with the outer face and hub portion of the cutter blade or disk 10 as the latter rotates during movement of the accessory through the can opener.

The buffer 39 similarly may be formed of a resilient material such as sponge rubber, plastic foam or the like and covered with a suitable buing surface, such as cloth or felt. Obviously, the scrubbing pads 32 and 34 and also the buffer 39 may be comprised or bristles, arranged in brush like formations, or the respective pads may be of other suitable resilient material.

In the operation of the invention, which is believed to be apparent from the foregoing, the blade 10 of the can opener is normally raised or retracted in a well known manner, while the accessory is positioned with respect to the drive wheel 20 with its outer side wall 26 flush against the end face of the drive wheel and with its outwardly projecting ange or beading 3l) resting on the toothed periphery of the wheel.

The cutter blade or disk 10 is then lowered to bring a portion of its periphery down within the channelled portion of the accessory and between the opposed blade treating members. Normally, the initial positioning of the accessory will be such that the cutter disk engages or is located at the junction 40` of the sharpening pads and the cleaning pads so that when the drive wheel is rotated to feed the accessory through the can opener, the accessory is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. l, to cause relative movement of the entire length of the sharpening pads in engagement with the cutter disk, following which the disk is engaged and acted upon by the buffer pads 36 and 38 to effect a cleaning, not only of the accumulated food, but also of any particles of metal or abrasive grit which may cling thereto as a result of the sharpening operation.

It may be desirable where the can opener blade has become unusually dirty and/or dulled by prolonged use without cleaning and/or sharpening, to subject it to several sharpening operations or engagements with the sharpening elements 32 and 34, in which event the can opener is merely operated long enough to cause the desired number of complete rotations of the accessory of the invention.

In the modified embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 5, the accessory differs from that of the preferred embodiment earlier described, only in that the channelled backing member 22' is of rectilinear configuration, rather than of annular configuration. It is of similar shape in cross-section to that of the preferred embodiment as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and one wall, 26 thereof, is provided with the annular ledge 30 adapted to rest upon and be drivingly engaged by the driving wheel or traction wheel 20 to urge the accessory in a lengthwise direction through the can opener. The sharpening elements 32 and 34', respectively, are similar to those of the preferred embodiment, as are the bufling or cleaning elements 36 and 38. In this case, the sharpening or abrasive elements 32 and 34', will extend rearwardly from the leading end of the accessory in the direction of its intended feed through the can opener (indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5), so that the blade will be rst sharpened, following which the trailing buffer elements 36 and 38 will engage the blade to afford a cleaning action as in the rst embodiment. This embodiment of the invention also, may include an elongated bulfer 39' coextensive in length with the accessory and secured along the upper edge of one side wall of the accessory for cleaning engagement with the hub portion of the cutter disk or blade 10,

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, the construction is generally similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4 and corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters to each of which is appended the suix b. Thus, the channelled backing member 2211 may be similar in all respects to that disclosed in connection with FIG. 1.

Also the abrasive pad 34b may be similar to that disclosed in FIG. l or alternatively may comprise a rigid abrasive member. However, in this modification, the abrasive sharpening member 34b preferably extends for the full circumference of the annular backing member 22b.

The inner blade treating element 32b preferably acts both as a sharpening and cleaning element and to this end is formed of resilient material such as natural or artificial rubber, having fine particles of abrasive embedded therein. The outer face or portion of this element is formed with a multiplicity of regularly spaced radial protrusions or teeth 33 preferably inclined somewhat in the direction in which the accessory rotates through the can opener. The arrangement thus is such that the outer end portions of the protrusions or teeth 33 are in abrading engagement with the rotary cutter blade of the can opener to effect a sharpening of same in conjunction with the abrasive sharpening element 34b between which the cutter blade is relatively moved. Any foreign particles such as food, residues, or abrasive particles are normally received and retained in the valleys between the adjoining teeth 33 and may be removed simply by washing the accessory.

As will be apparent, this particular embodiment of the invention will eliminate the need for separate buffer or cleaner elements such as 36 and 38 of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9, the backing member 22e` is of annular shape and formed of a suitable plastic as in FIG. l, but differs from the embodiment of FIG. l in that the radially outer wall 28C of the channel constitutes the bottom of the channel member, the relatively parallel side walls 24 and 26 of which are disposed in parallel planes radially to the annulus.

As will be apparent, this embodiment is for use on a can opener of a type in which the can is rotated about a horizontal axis, rather than about a vertical axis, as in the embodiments previously described. Thus, when applied to a can opener of this type, the can opener traction wheel 20c will engage the lateral fiange or lip 30e of the side wall 26a to impart rotary movement to the accessory. At the same time, the rotary cutter blade c will have its peripheral cutting edge portion projected radially between the relatively opposed pads 32e and 34C corresponding in construction to the pads 32 and 34 of the preferred embodiment or, if desired, the pads may be similar to those illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The buffer pad 39C is applied along the edge of the side wall 24C. It will be appreciated that buffer pads similar to those dcsignated as 36 and 38 in the embodiment of FIG. 1 may be employed, if desired, together with the abrasive pads 32C and 34e` in the manner taught in the embodiment of FIG. 1.

In each form of the invention, it will be apparent that the accessory may be readily applied to and removed from the can opener and will be moved past the cutter blade or disk 10 thereof in operative engagement with the blade, both to sharpen and to clean same or to accomplish either of these functions.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An accessory for use for a can opener of the class in which a traction wheel in operative driving engagement with the peripheral beading at one end of a conventional can moves the beading relative to the can opener in the direction of the length of the beading, while a cutting blade of the can opener penetrates and progressively cuts the can end inwardly of and adjacent to the peripheral beading; said accessory comprising a channelled backing member of iU-shaped crosssection, including relatively spaced parallel walls and a bottom interconnecting said walls, one said wall being adapted for movement between said cutter blade and traction wheel, a horizontal flange projecting outwardly from the upper edge of said one wall for driven engagement with said traction wheel; and a pair of relatively opposed blade treating elements affixed to the respective parallel walls within sai-d channel for reception between them of said blade and for operative engagement with said blade.

2. An accessory as defined in claim 1, wherein said blade treating elements comprise knife sharpening surfaces of abrasive material adapted to be engaged by said blade during its relative movement through said channelled member.

3. An accessory as dened in claim 1, wherein said blade treating elements include scrubbing pads adapted for reception between them of said blade to frictionally engage and clean said blade during movement of the blade between said pads.

4. An accessory as defined in claim 1, in which said bla-de treating elements comprise a pair of relatively opposed blade sharpening pads having surfaces of abrasive material and a pair of relatively opposed scrubbing pads for frictional scrubbing engagement with said blade.

5. An accessory as defined in claim 1, in which said channelled backing member is of rectilinear configuratlon.

6. An accessory as defined in claim 1, in which said channelled backing member is of annular configuration.

7. An accessory as defined in claim 1, including an elongated buffer secured along the upper edge of the other said parallel wall of the backing member and projecting above said backing member for rubbing engagement with the hub of a rotary can opener blade.

8. An accessory as defined in claim 1, in which certain of said blade treating elements are provided with surfaces of abrasive material arranged at an acute angle to each other for substantially fiush engagement, respectively, with the relatively converging surfaces forming the cutting edge of a can opener blade.

9. An accessory as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the said blade treating elements comprises a member of resiliently deformable material, having abrasive particles embedded therein and formed with regularly spaced protrusions for engagement with the rotary blade of the can opener.

10. An accessory as defined in claim 1, in which said channelled backing member is of annular configuration with the channel thereof opening radially inwardly.

11. An accessory as defined in claim 1, in which the channelled'backing member is of annular configuration with the channel thereof opening in an axial direction relative to said annular member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1907 Wissler 51-247 3/1960 Sarlin l5-256.5

WILLIAM R. ARMSTRONG, Primary -Examiner 

